Undergraduate Catalog 2018-19 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2018-19 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Multidisciplinary Studies (BA.MDS)


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The Multidisciplinary Studies (MDS) major provides students with broad exposure to four key liberal arts fields: English, history/social sciences, mathematics, and science. While open to all students, the MDS major is particularly designed for students seeking to become elementary education teachers. (Such students must also complete the courses for Elementary Education Licensure .)

The MDS major is overseen by the Faculty Assembly Committee on Teacher Education.

Educational objectives:

  1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of appropriate content in the areas of English Language Arts, particularly the conventions of written English and the dimensions of quality writing and types of writing, as well as a wide variety of quality, age-appropriate literature across genres, and strategies for textual analysis. Furthermore, students will practice appropriate pedagogy for teaching writing as well as textual analysis of literature.
  2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of historical and social science content, concepts, and skills in the areas of historical thinking; history; cultural geography; diversity, unity, identity, and interdependence; and citizenship as delineated in current national professional standards.
  3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of essential numeracy concepts and their development, as well as content in the areas of number and operations; algebra and functions; geometry in the areas of numbers and operations, geometry and measurement; and data analysis, statistics, and probability.
  4. Students will demonstrate knowledge of scientific content, concepts and skills in the areas of development of students' scientific inquiry process; life sciences; physical sciences; Earth, environmental, and atmospheric sciences
  5. Students will demonstrate content knowledge in depth for one of four liberal arts content areas.

Note: For students seeking licensure, no courses for the MDS major may be taken on a pass/no pass basis.

I. Complete the requirements of the four content areas (English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science):


Social Studies requirements (12 cr):


Mathematics Requirements (12-13 cr):


Science Requirements (16 cr):


Complete 16 credits from the courses listed below.

At least 7 of the 16 credits must be chosen from the list of Life Science courses, and at least 7 of the 16 credits must be chosen from the list of Physical Science courses.

II. And complete a Concentration in one of these five content areas (12 cr):


Concentration in English


Complete 12 credits in ENG courses, approved by the chair of the English Department.

Concentration in Social Studies


Students wishing to concentrate in Social Studies are required to submit a signed contract to the Registrar by the end of their sophomore year. This contract must be approved by both the student's Education advisor, Social Studies advisor, and the chair of the HGEP Department.

Concentration in Mathematics


Complete 12 credits in MAT courses, approved by the chair of the Mathematics Department.

Concentration in Science


Complete 12 additional credits in science chosen from the Life Science and Physical Science lists above.

(Credits required for the major: 64-65 cr)


And complete the University's Gen Ed requirements


Review  the Gen Ed requirements.

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